snacks Archives - Happy Healthy RD

Healthy Travel Snacks

November 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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As we approach one of the busiest travel days of the year, I thought I would share some of my favorite travel snacks. Derek and I are headed south for Thanksgiving this year, and because we’re hitting the road instead of flying we have lots of room to pack healthy food (although even when I fly I also try to pack a decent amount of food because airport food usually gets my award for being the worst and most overpriced).

Our destination is South Carolina and the plan is to split the drive over two days. We booked an Air B&B for the overnight with the hope of cooking a healthy breakfast before getting in the car for the second day of the trip (probably will cook eggs with avocado and have a granola with yogurt and pomegranate arils).

This definitely takes some time and pre-planning but I think it is worth it. Before we left I made the following:

Apricot Energy Bites
Granola
Two chia puddings with fresh fruit (I used fresh pomegranate and mango)
Quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado
Hard boiled eggs
Deseeded a pomengrante (How to deseed a pomegranate)
Cut up veggies (carrots, celery, peppers)

I also packed:
Crackers
Hummus
Cheese
Yogurt
Deli turkey
Avocado
Fruit
Miso soup packets (just add hot water)
Ginger chews (the best for car sickness)
Tea* (I usually will just fill up my travel mug with hot water at gas stations)
Home made almond milk

*This tea can be very helpful during travel if you are struggling to be successful in the bathroom if you know what I mean 😉

Other items that I find useful when traveling (most of these items are to hopefully help avoid creating extra waste/garbage when possible) :

Water bottle
Travel mug
Travel spork
Metal straw
Cloth napkins
Tiftin or any type of food storage container (can be used as a plate/bowl). I have this one and like it.

To some people, this may seem like an extreme amount of food to pack, but for long trips when you are sitting for hours on end the last thing you want to fuel your body with is fast food that will make you queasy in the car. I would much rather pack food and find a nice spot to have a little picnic and maybe spend some time taking a short walk instead of stopping at a restaurant.

I hope everyone has safe travels this holiday season!

roadtripsnacks

Almond Coconut Apricot Energy Bites

March 2, 2016 by 4 Comments

It’s March….Happy National Nutrition Month everyone! The theme this year is Savor the Flavor of Eating Right. It is all about taking time to really enjoy your food and work towards a more mindful eating mindset. You can find a multitude of resources about National Nutrition Month on eatright.org including tips, handouts, games plus much more if you are looking for ways to promote nutrition in your schools, churches, and communities. There is also a list of bloggers and dietitians talking about NNM at the National Nutrition Month Blogroll (if you are interested).

I’m starting the month off by sharing a recipe that could be a real test of mindful eating. These energy bites are so good it’s hard not to eat them all in one sitting. Luckily they are so flavorful if you take some time and really savor the flavor you might be satisfied with just one or two.

Anyway, I have been lucky enough to escape the Michigan winter with a few trips to warm weather destinations and this past February I wanted to make a batch of energy bites to take along for plane snacks. Energy bites usually use dates as a base, however I was out of dates (I know – a travesty!). Luckily for this story we had a large supply of dried apricots to save the day (btw, if you haven’t tried the organic dried apricots from Costco, what are you waiting for??).

I think I might now be an apricot energy bite convert…sorry dates! Dried apricots are subtly sweet and have the perfect texture for an energy bite. FYI these ended up traveling really well and made a great plane snack!

I wasn’t exactly sure what other flavor would go with apricot but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with almond and coconut. I love the flavor of almond but sometimes when I include raw almonds in a recipe there isn’t a ton of almond flavor. So I added a little almond extract to this recipe. If you aren’t a fan of that distinct almond taste, feel free to leave it out.

I used the good ole Vitamix to make the ‘dough’ but I actually think a food processor works better for this type of recipe. Unfortunately our food processor is less than effective. If anyone has a recommendation of a great food processor, please leave me a comment!

Anyways, pulsed together in a high speed blender or food processor the dough forms up really nicely. If your apricots are on the drier side it might be helpful to soak them in some warm water first. Or if you are having trouble getting the mixture to combine add a tablespoon of water to help get things going. Once mixed the dough actually doesn’t feel as sticky as when I have made energy bites with dates. But if you are having issues when rolling into balls, wet your hands first and that might help.

Enjoy and don’t forget to savor the flavor!

Almond Coconut Apricot Energy Bites

Makes about 20 bites

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup raw unsalted almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened + more for topping

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon maple syrup

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in food processor or high powered blender until mixture holds together. Roll into tablespoon size balls then roll in finely shredded coconut. Store in the refrigerator.

Be Happy, Be Healthy!

Chocolate Dipped Apricots with Sea Salt Flakes

December 16, 2015 by 5 Comments

Hey! I’m back from a self-imposed blogging break. Not sure why or how it happened but I guess I needed a break. But I’m glad to be back! I think part of the reason was I’ve been lacking inspiration in the kitchen. Who knows why? But it happens to everyone. I still wouldn’t say I’m cooking up a storm but I am dipping things in chocolate.

So I thought I would ease back into blogging with a short post about one of my favorite things to snack on – chocolate dipped apricots with sea salt flakes. Which I have discovered is my go-to for a quick holiday dessert, gift, or snack (there’s fruit involved!). This works with any fruit that is relatively sturdy, dried or fresh. Basically take whatever fruit you’re using, dip it in chocolate and you’re done. Also works well with pretzels, potato chips, or bacon too if that’s your thing.

I have been on an apricot kick lately. You know where I think has some of the best dried apricots? Aldi! They are extra soft and juicy. The ones I used for this recipe were from Target but they definitely weren’t as good as Aldi’s. Sometimes I forget about Aldi but there are a few things I like to pick up there. They always have the best price on avocados and pineapples and when they have houseplant or orchid specials I can’t resist. If there are other things I should be buying at Aldi, let me know in the comments!

So back to these apricots. The sea salt is optional but I’m all about sweet and salty. are my fave to use because they are super big and flaky. If you don’t eat all these right away, throw in a mason jar with a ribbon and spread the chocolate-covered love.

Chocolate Dipped Apricots with Sea Salt

1 bag dried apricots

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Line a large plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper (make sure it fits in your freezer or fridge). Melt chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or the microwave. If using microwave, stop and stir every 15-20 seconds. Once chocolate is completely melted, dip apricots in halfway. Place on parchment paper and sprinkle with sea salt. Once all are dipped, chill in freezer or fridge until chocolate is hardened. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!